NBA Power Rankings Week 4: Boston Celtics, LA Lakers come out on top

We are three weeks into the 2019-20 NBA season and it seems like it has been a major throwback week for NBA fans so far. After winning seven straight games, the Boston Celtics have shown why they are a force to reckon with this season. Their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers may have succumbed to a loss to the shorthanded Raptors, but the Lakers are still the top team in the Western Conference so far. Here's a look at the NBA Power Rankings for Week 4. 

NBA Power Rankings Week 4

1. Boston Celtics

A 7-1 record thus far means that the Boston Celtics are the top team at the moment. The Celtics haven't lost since opening night and their new acquisition Kemba Walker has hit the ground running for the Celtics. Their seven-game winning streak, however, has come at some cost. The Celtics' 135-115 beatdown of San Antonio saw Gordon Hayward break his left hand. Hayward is likely to miss at least a month of action and could also be forced to undergo surgery. 

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2. Los Angeles Lakers

A shoddy showing against the Toronto Raptors was but a minor blip, Lakers' fans will hope. The Lakers have enjoyed a 7-2 record so far and can also boast of the second-best defence in the NBA. They may have blown an 11-point lead against a shorthanded Raptors' team, but LeBron James is currently averaging a career-high 11.0 assists with his lowest turnover ratio (9.8 per 100 possessions) of the last seven seasons. Star acquisition Anthony Davis tweaked his shoulder in the loss against the Raptors, but he also racked up 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, four blocks and two 3-pointers. Encouraging, to say the least. 

3. Milwaukee Bucks

If you were to compare the Bucks' blistering start in their first 10 games last season, this seasons' 7-3 record may seem a little worrisome. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has come to the fore for the Bucks and has now recorded at least 30 points and 13 rebounds in five straight games. The Bucks did play the Wolves without Karl-Anthony Towns and the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard last week, but even the Bucks themselves do not look like they are firing on all cylinders. All things considered, with Antetokounmpo in their side, the Bucks will be a legitimate threat all season. 

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The Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers are the ones rounding up the top five in the NBA Power Rankings Week 4. Paul George is expected to make an imminent return for the Clippers, and so, the Clippers will have the luxury of fielding one All-NBA forward while resting the other. The return of Paul George could see the Clippers move further up the NBA Power Rankings. The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, have Nikola Jokic to thank for so far this season. Jokic's scoring, shooting and rebounding numbers may be down from last season, but Jokic is the main reason why the Nuggets are 6-1 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. Talk about leaving it late. 

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